An herby, citrusy, and slightly tart cornish game hen with freshly popped cranberries in a white wine pan sauce is a delicious addition to a holiday table or even a weeknight meal.
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This cornish hen in a cranberry pan sauce is equally good as a weeknight meal or on a holiday table—my famous spatchcock chicken and juicy, crispy chicken quarters recipe inspired this cornish hen recipe. I used the same technique to achieve a flavorful chicken.
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Ingredients
- cornish hen
- small blood orange, thinly sliced (reserve the other half for zest and juice)
- unsalted butter, cold, cut into squares (divided)
- olive oil
- herbs de Provence - I like mine with lavender.
- celery salt
- freshly ground fennel seed. medium-coarse
- fresh sage leaves
- Whole cloves of garlic, crushed and 2-3 more, grated
- large shallot, finely chopped
- dry white wine, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc
- fresh rosemary
- cinnamon stick
- fresh cranberries
- brown sugar
- parmesan
- salt and pepper
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
How to cook this blood orange cornish hen with cranberry pan sauce
Before I begin, I always cover my non-porous cutting board with a layer of freezer paper and a few paper towels. Doing so helps make it easier to clean my work surface later.
Spatchcock the cornish hen
With paper towels, pat the birds dry. Then, flip them breast side down to remove the spine—picture two parallel lines down each side of the spine along the back of the ribcage. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut both lines, clipping the ribs to remove the spine altogether.
At this point, you can trim any sharp rib bone edges. Now, carefully flip the bird over and firmly press down on both sides of the sternum to make the chicken lay flat.
Or cut the cornish hen into halves
Alternatively, you can cut the breastbone to separate the chicken into halves. After removing the spine, flip the bird over and firmly press down to make the chicken lie flat. Before cutting into halves, evenly distribute the skin, then slice through the center of the breasts using sharp kitchen shears, applying force to break through the breastbones and cartilage.
Finally, trim the breast bone off the muscle. If you cut the chicken into halves, use butchers twine during the cooking process to ensure the aromatics stay in place. In my opinion, the hens are more manageable to sear in pieces, and it cooks slightly quicker, but not a big deal either way.
Again, pat the chicken as dry as possible. Next, season both sides of the chicken with an herb paste: Herbs de Provence, celery salt, fennel seed, and just enough olive oil to make a paste, then rub it all over the cornish hens making sure to get it into all of the crevices.
Hint: The drier the skin is beforehand, the better the skin will turn out. Fully thaw the chicken; any excess liquid from freezing will mess with the browning stage, hindering the skin from becoming extra crisp.
Prep the blood orange cornish hen
Now, using your finger, disjoint the skin from the muscle by sliding it underneath the skin. After, stuff the thinly sliced blood orange slices and pats of butter underneath the skin to sit directly on top of the muscle. If you halved the chickens, tie them with butchers twine to keep them intact.
Warm a large stainless steel skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil with sage leaves and crushed whole cloves of garlic. Make sure the heat isn't too high, or the garlic will burn.
When the pan is hot, carefully place each hen skin side down, placing the sage and garlic atop the chickens. Sear the skins until golden brown. When it releases from the pan, flip the birds over and cook for an additional five minutes, moving the garlic and sage to the skin side. I cover the pan with a lid to help with splatter but watch the heat, so the bottom of the pan doesn't burn.
Remove the hens onto a clean baking sheet and set them aside in a warm zone. Discard the garlic and sage. Turn the burner down to a lower temperature, letting the pan cool slightly before moving on.
Make the cranberry pan sauce
To the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and butter, if needed. Sweat the finely chopped shallots and grated garlic over medium to medium-low heat until soft, translucent, and slightly golden. Before adding wine, remove any excess fat, but leave the chicken drippings.
Note: It's crucial to empty any excess fat, or the pan sauce will not come together smoothly.
Pour in white wine, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprigs, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Bring the wine to a simmer before adding the chickens back in skin-side up.
Let the chickens cook in the white wine as it continues to reduce. Meanwhile, toss a few handfuls of cranberries with a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize the acidity during the cooking process. When the temperature of the cornish hens hits about 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit, add in the fresh cranberries and a squeeze of blood orange juice.
Cook the cranberries until they split or pop open, about 5-8 minutes. When this happens, stir in a tablespoon of butter, then taste the sauce, stirring in a ½ teaspoon of brown sugar at a time, and seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
By this point, the chickens should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit at the meatiest part of the hen. Trim the butcher's twine. Additionally, you can remove the orange slices from under the skin before serving.
Discard the herb bundle, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of fresh orange zest.
Substitutions
- Citrus - instead of blood orange, this will technically work with any citrus. I typically use this method with lemon, as seen in my spatchcock chicken and crispy, juicy chicken quarters recipes. Still, when using oranges, I would use Cara Cara oranges over naval because they are slightly sweeter with a more complex flavor.
Variations
Weeknight - This recipe, as is, is considered weeknight-friendly to me. It takes around 30 minutes to cook and less than 60 minutes from stovetop to table; however, if you need something more hands-free, you can put the chickens in the oven and make the pan sauce separately. The sauce can be made with or without chicken drippings, so you can sear the skins if you'd like. However, it is more flavorful with the drippings.
Stick the hens in a 425-degree Fahrenheit oven, if raw, or 400-degrees Fahrenheit oven, if seared. Turn the heat down and tent with foil if the skins brown too much. And cook the pan sauce separately.
Remove the hens when the internal temperature reaches 160-degrees F at the meatiest part without touching the bone. Use an oven-safe thermometer to keep an eye on the cornish hen without the risk of over-cooking. Allow the chicken to rest and come to temperature before glazing with sauce.
Equipment
My All-Clad All-in-One pan is an excellent everyday pan and is my go-to for almost everything. Plus, it's oven-friendly and doubles as a serving dish. Alternatively, a cast iron pan is one of the best pans to sear proteins; I will always recommend a Lodge brand cast iron pan.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container. Suitable for 2-3 days.
Top tip
Easy on the heat. We want the pan hot enough to sear the skin but not hot enough to burn the pan. Furthermore, remember to pour out any excess fat from the pan before adding the wine.
Scroll down to the recipe card to print the full blood orange cornish hen with cranberry pan sauce recipe.
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Blood Orange Cornish Hens with Cranberry Pan Sauce
An herby, citrusy, and slightly tart cornish game hen with freshly popped cranberries in a white wine pan sauce is a delicious addition to a holiday table or even a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cornish hen
- ½ small blood orange, thinly sliced (reserve the other half for zest and juice)
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, cold, cut into squares (divided), see notes*
- olive oil
- 3 teaspoons herbs de Provence
- 1 ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground fennel seed
- 3-4 fresh sage leaves
- 2-3 cloves of garlic crushed and 2-3 more, grated and set aside
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 handfuls of fresh cranberries, tossed with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
- brown sugar to taste
- parmesan, freshly grated
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Before I begin, I always cover my non-porous cutting board with a layer of freezer paper and a few paper towels. Doing so helps make it easier to clean my work surface later.
Spatchcock the chicken: With paper towels, pat the birds dry. Then, flip them breast side down to remove the spin—picture two parallel lines down each side of the spin along the back of the ribcage. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut both lines, clipping the ribs to remove the spin altogether. At this point, you can trim any sharp rib bone edges. Now, carefully flip the bird over and firmly press down on both sides of the sternum to make the chicken lay flat.
Optional - cut the chicken in half: Alternatively, you can cut the breastbone to separate the chicken into halves. As per step two, remove the spine, flip the bird over, and firmly press down to make the chicken lie flat. Before cutting into halves, evenly distribute the skin, then slice through the center of the breasts using sharp kitchen shears, applying force to break through the breastbones and cartilage. Finally, trim the breast bone off the muscle. If you cut the chicken into halves, use butchers twine during the cooking process to ensure the aromatics stay in place. In my opinion, the hens are more manageable to sear in pieces, and it cooks slightly quicker, but not a big deal either way.
Again, pat the chicken as dry as possible. Next, season both sides of the chicken with an herb paste: Herbs de Provence, celery salt, fennel seed, and just enough olive oil to make a paste, then rub it all over the cornish hens making sure to get it into all of the crevices.
Now, using your finger, disjoint the skin from the muscle by sliding it underneath the skin. After, stuff the thinly sliced blood orange slices and pats of butter underneath the skin to sit directly on top of the muscle. If you halved the chickens, tie them with butchers twine to keep them intact.
Warm a large stainless steel skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil with sage leaves and crushed whole cloves of garlic. Make sure the heat isn't too high, or the garlic will burn.
When the pan is hot, carefully place each hen skin side down, placing the sage and garlic atop the chickens. Sear the skins until golden brown. When it releases from the pan, flip the birds over and cook for an additional five minutes, moving the garlic and sage to the skin side. I cover the pan with a lid to help with splatter but watch the heat, so the bottom of the pan doesn't burn.
Remove the hens onto a clean baking sheet and set them aside in a warm zone. Discard the garlic and sage. Turn the burner down to a lower temperature, letting the pan cool slightly before moving on.
To the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and butter, if needed. Sweat the finely chopped shallots and grated garlic over medium to medium-low heat until soft, translucent, and slightly golden. Before adding wine, remove any excess fat, but leave the chicken drippings. Pour in white wine, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprigs, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Bring the wine to a simmer before adding the chickens back in skin-side up.
Let the chickens cook in the white wine as it continues to reduce. Meanwhile, toss a few handfuls of cranberries with a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize the acidity during the cooking process. When the temperature of the cornish hens hits about 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit, add in the fresh cranberries and a squeeze of blood orange juice. Cook the cranberries until they split or pop open, about 5-8 minutes. When this happens, stir in a tablespoon of butter, then taste the sauce, stirring in a ½ teaspoon of brown sugar at a time, and seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
By this point, the chickens should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit at the meatiest part of the hen. Trim the butcher's twine. Additionally, you can remove the orange slices from under the skin before serving.
Discard the herb bundle, then sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of fresh orange zest.
Notes
- Prep the butter, orange slices, and seasonings before touching the chicken. Depending on the size, you will need four to six small squares of butter per whole cornish hen and two thinly sliced blood orange rounds.
- Use the extra butter in this recipe to saute shallots and garlic, or where needed, and a tablespoon to finish the sauce. It is crucial to divide the butter before cooking since you may not use it and risk contamination.
- One serving equals half of one large cornish game hen.
- Alternatively, for a more hands-free, possibly quicker approach, as the sauce can be made with or without chicken drippings, so you can sear the skins if you'd like. However, it is more flavorful with the drippings. Stick the hens in a 425-degree Fahrenheit oven, if raw, or 400-degrees Fahrenheit oven, if seared. And cook the pan sauce separately. Remove the hens when the internal temperature reaches 160-degrees F at the meatiest part without touching the bone. Allow the chicken to rest and come to temperature before glazing with sauce.
- Do not boil wine, ever, because it will create a bitter aftertaste. A simmer is slower than a rolling boil, producing a small number of fine bubbles with minimal movement or splattering. A lower, slower reduction of wine is better for the overall taste.
- Tossing the cranberries with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the fruit. They will still be slightly tart but not puckeringly sour. Brown sugar is optional, as you may not need to add much sugar, if any, when using this trick. Additionally, cranberries only need to be cooked until they open up. If they turn to mush, they will get bitter from overcooking.
- You are welcome to use dried cranberries for this recipe, but they need to rehydrate with hot water before adding to the sauce. Reconstitute the cranberries in hot water for about 15 minutes, draining excess water before adding. Also, skip the baking soda and brown sugar. Dried cranberries are typically sweetened, so there's no need to neutralize the acid.
- Keep your work area clean. Sanitize the area with bleach water by removing any visible food remnants. Unscented bleach water is considered food-grade at one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water. After sanitizing, disinfect the area by spraying with bleach water again. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for 10 minutes or until dry. If using a different solution, read the back label. Disinfecting times vary depending on the brand. If using a solution that is not food-safe, wipe with water after disinfecting has occurred.
- The residual heat will continue to cook the meat another 5 to 10 degrees. However, the final internal temperature of the chicken needs to reach 165 degrees F, for at least 30 seconds, before consumption.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 713Total Fat: 52gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 235mgSodium: 821mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 32g
Nutrition facts are for personal reference only as calories may vary on a case by case basis.
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Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F. The residual heat will continue to cook the meat another 5 to 10 degrees. However, the final internal temperature of the chicken needs to reach 165 degrees F, for at least 30 seconds, before consumption.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
- Keep your work area clean. Sanitize the area with bleach water by removing any visible food remnants. Unscented bleach water is considered food-grade at one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water. After sanitizing, disinfect the area by spraying with bleach water again. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for 10 minutes or until dry. If using a different solution, read the back label. Disinfecting times vary depending on the brand. If using a solution that is not food-safe, wipe with water after disinfecting has occurred.
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